


Promotion

by Pollydoodles



Series: The Pizza Dog Chronicles [11]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-25
Updated: 2016-02-25
Packaged: 2018-05-23 02:15:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6101465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pollydoodles/pseuds/Pollydoodles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They had been gathered, by way of email – and an insistent alarm message resounding across the tower, in Stark’s voice – to the common room on the 85th floor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promotion

They had been gathered, by way of email – and an insistent alarm message resounding across the tower, in Stark’s voice – to the common room on the 85th floor. Grumbling, Barton perched on the kitchen counter, coffee cup in hand and eyes barely open. Natasha poked him slyly in the ribs without looking at him as she slipped past, dodging his half-hearted leg swing thrown her way in response, and snatching a cup of coffee for herself with ease. She settled herself neatly on one of the kitchen stools and looked expectant. 

Pepper was sat neatly in one of the easy chairs, dressed as ever in a smart skirt-suit and looking impeccable. Her red hair was tied back and the ponytail lay across one shoulder as she glanced about the room; surreptitiously checking the emails on her phone as she did so, scrolling with one thumb and frowning slightly to see another complaint from the security staff about Wilson using the helipad on the roof instead of the front gates as he’d been asked. 

Darcy was sat, cross-legged and wedged between Jane and Thor on the couch, Thor encroaching more on her personal space than Jane, but her friend all elbows and awkwardness as she scribbled frantically. She’d also grumbled the whole ride up in the elevator, between writing, frustrated at being pulled away from the lab. Banner, slouched across from them in an easy chair, gave her a sympathetic look. 

Bucky was sat in front of her, favouring the floor over anything else, his head resting against the cross of her legs and Lucky flopped bonelessly over his own lap. Darcy reached forward and toyed gently with his hair, not being able to see him but, knowing from the tilt of his head and the almost imperceptible sigh that escaped him, that his eyes were closed in pleasure. If she were lucky, real lucky, there might just be a small smile creeping its way across his face, too. 

Steve stood, somehow still straight-backed even though he was ostensibly leaning against one of the brick columns. His arms folded, he managed to look both at ease and on guard, his blue eyes trained on the be-suited man who stood in the middle of them all. Stark had taken his place on top of the coffee table, ever one for the most dramatic effect he could muster. 

“It has been brought to my attention by persons who shall remain nameless-“ His eyes flicker over Pepper, who remains impassive, and Steve, who returns a hard stare. “That I might possibly at some point be considered to have acted in an irrational manner-“

“Might?” Banner choked behind a hand. Tony spun on one heel and narrowed his eyes at the other man before continuing. 

“Which hypothetically could have impacted on persons who, should this scenario in fact be less hypothetical and more realistic, live in this tower-“

“Are you following this?” Darcy whispered.  
“Nope.” Replied Jane, her notes lying forgotten on her lap and staring at Stark with unbridled fascination. 

“So, to summarise-“

“To make up for being a catastrophic idiot and all-round pain in the ass, Tony has graciously created an official position for Lucky,” Pepper interrupted, unable to listen any longer and standing up gracefully from the chair in a manner that Darcy envied to her very bones but knew she’d never be able to emulate. 

Stark threw her a wounded look, but ceded the floor to her. Stepping towards the middle of the room, Pepper looked down at Bucky and smiled gently. He was the only one – save Lucky, who had crawled entirely into his lap by this point and was enthusiastically licking the man’s cheek – not paying Pepper any attention. Darcy tugged on his hair carefully and when he tilted his head back to gaze up at her, she nodded towards the redhead. 

“An official position?” Banner sounded confused. 

“For the dog?” Natasha’s voice was laced with scepticism. 

“I think that it’s a great idea.” Jane said firmly, and earned herself grateful looks from both Darcy and Steve. Bucky looked from Pepper to Darcy and back again, an uncertain look crossing his dark features. Darcy leaned forward and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. 

“So, henceforth, Lucky’s official title is Senior Therapy Dog-in-Residence.” She paused, and took a breath. “Tony also picked the title.” She added, throwing him a look and he beamed at the whole room, pleased with himself. 

“How can he be senior?” Darcy could hear Barton grumble behind his mug. “He’s the only one.” 

“Really? That’s the weirdest part of the whole thing for you?” Natasha whispered back, arching an eyebrow at him incredulously. 

“Just ‘cause you’re a cat person.” He sniped back under his breath and kicked his foot into her thigh. She retaliated by jabbing his hand with a fork. 

“Just ‘cause this makes him senior to you.” She hissed into his ear and he pulled a mock-upset face at her. 

“We have actually a little something for Lucky,” And Darcy, being a betting girl and even frankly if she wasn’t, would never have guessed in a million years she’d be witness to the CEO of Stark Industries kneeling on the floor in a thousand-dollar Prada suit and affixing a luminous yellow high-vis jacket around an excited Labrador. If Pepper was at all perturbed that her outfit came away with a healthy layer of golden hair and a not insignificant amount of slobber around the hem, she was far too polite to mention. 

Bucky looked at the dog, now sitting – albeit vibrating with nervous energy – clad in a bright yellow jacket customised for four legs and an increasingly rotund stomach, then across to Pepper who was smiling gently back at him. His face cracked into a brilliant smile and he petted Lucky furiously on the head. 

“So he’s a fully-fledged team member now, Bucky.” Pepper said, and Darcy wasn’t sure she’d ever heard Pepper call him Bucky before. Glancing over at Steve, he caught her eye and grinned back. 

“Team member?” Bucky asked slowly, crushing the dog to his chest for a one-armed hug. Lucky, who appeared to be almost as indestructible as Bucky himself, woofed happily and dug his snout into Bucky’s armpit. 

“Absolutely.” Pepper replied. 

Bucky digested that for a moment before replying. “He’s an Avenger?” He asked, his eyes lighting up. 

Stark whirled on his heel, palms up and outward facing. “Woah, Pep-“

“See? Now he actually is senior to you.” Natasha murmured to Barton and he pushed her off the stool. 

“Yeah, he’s an Avenger, Buck.” Darcy said, running both her hands up his arms to his shoulders and squeezing tightly. Several pairs of incredulous eyes met hers, and one pair which crinkled with laughter and fondness. She bit her lip and then carried on. “Avengers save people, right? Protect them. Keep them safe.” She stared around the room at her somewhat captive audience, and lost a little heart in her speech. 

“Anyway, I’m just-“ She inhaled sharply, and the reality of addressing a room full of genuinely quite important people – and Barton – started to hit home. “I’m just saying, that’s what Lucky’s done.” She swallowed but then looked up defiantly, daring them to contradict her. 

A moment passed, then Thor clapped on her the back so hard she shuddered forward into Bucky. He lifted an arm above his head and stopped her easily from falling over him and she fought hard not to drop a light kiss to the top of his mess of dark hair for it, before settling back into the couch. 

“Darcy is right.” The big blond mountain squeezed into the seat next to her boomed. “That must be the definition of an Avenger, and so an Avenger the, uh, the-“ here, he paused, a look of consternation splashed across his broad face. 

“Dog.” Jane supplied helpfully.

“The dog is an Avenger.” He finished, and looked around the room proudly. Stark gave Pepper a look that quite plainly expressed his feelings on the matter and she shoved him slightly in the shoulder. Banner sighed and sunk further into the armchair he was occupying. 

Steve fixed Tony with a narrow look and the older man threw his hands up, unable to contend with both Rogers and Pepper at the same time. Which, now he had a chance to reflect upon it, was exactly the reason why he was in the position in the first place. Oh for the days when I was lord and master of my own castle, he thought to himself. 

“Oh-kay.” He said rolling his eyes. “Guess I need to send off for different badges then.” I can’t believe I just said that about a dog, rumbled his internal commentator. Clapping his hands together, he spoke again. “Come on you crazy kids. Don’t you all have important work to do or something?”

The team, in a jumble of groans and mutterings, excepting Darcy and Bucky who stayed put, trailed towards the door. Pepper paused at Steve’s shoulder on her way out of the room. “You know, Captain Rogers, if the definition of an Avenger is one who selflessly helps others, protects them, keeps them safe… Perhaps we need to look at getting some badges for Ms. Lewis.” She winked at him and eased past. 

“You don’t need to tell me.” He said under his breath, watching Darcy be pulled to the floor by his friend, laughing and shoving at him as she went, and the joyous smile on Bucky’s face as he tickled her mercilessly.


End file.
